Share the Score

Wings top Blues 3-1, earn 17th straight home win

DETROIT (AP)—The Detroit Red Wings are good enough to beat teams at home
even if they don’t get help from their opponents.

St. Louis took two costly penalties, retaliating for hard hits, and the Red
Wings took advantage.

Pavel Datsyuk tied the game early in the second period on the power play,
and Niklas Kronwall sealed the victory late in the third as Detroit beat the
Blues 3-1 on Monday night for its 17th straight home win—the NHL’s longest
single-season streak in 36 years.

“We have such a calm team,” said Jimmy Howard, who made 21 saves for his
league-leading 30th win. “Nothing seems to rattle us.”

The Red Wings’ spurt is the league’s fourth longest. Detroit (33-15-1) has
won seven in a row overall and leads the NHL with 67 points.

“Winning never gets old,” Howard said.

Detroit is three home wins away from matching the league record of 20
straight, set by the Boston Bruins during the 1929-30 season, and matched by
Philadelphia in 1976. The Bruins also won 19 consecutive in Boston during the
1970-71 season.

Detroit is 20-2-1 in Joe Louis Arena this season and hasn’t lost there since
Nov. 3. The Red Wings were 21-14-6 at home last season.

St. Louis had won four straight, and lost in regulation for the first time
since a Dec. 31 defeat at Detroit.

“We played good in stretches, but we crumbled when things got tight,”
Blues forward Jamie Langenbrunner said. “We got those retaliatory penalties.
That takes away our momentum and gets us out of our comfort zone.”

Jaroslav Halak, who had won a career-high seven in a row, made 25 saves.

Scott Nichol put the Blues ahead midway through the first period, but they
couldn’t get the puck past Howard again.

The Blues are 23-6-6 since coach Ken Hitchcock replaced the fired Davis
Payne, when the team was 6-7, and have become a contender in the tightly
contested Western Conference and Central Division.

The Blues didn’t back down from the Red Wings in the intense game, which was
very chippy throughout.

“It appeared to me that they thought they could be physical with us,”
Detroit coach Mike Babcock said.

St. Louis controlled play early and took advantage of Red Wings defensemen,
who went to the bench, thinking the puck had been cleared from their end of the
rink. A pair of forwards also ran into each other near center ice. Nichol netted
his second goal of the season at the end of a 3-on-1 rush.

Stewart was given a penalty for instigating and a 10- minute misconduct, but
didn’t regret it because he said Pietrangelo has to be protected.

“I have no problem doing that,” Stewart said. “That was definitely more
playoff hockey. Physical from the start. Trying to set the tone against a rival
and somebody who you’ll probably face in the playoffs.”

Detroit’s power play carried into the second period, and the Red Wings tied
the game. Datsyuk deked Pietrangelo to set up a backhanded shot that Halak
didn’t see until the puck was in the net, in part because forward Tomas
Holmstrom screened the goalie from in front of the crease.

Franzen scored off a rebound midway through the second period to put the Red
Wings ahead 2-1.

“It was a playoff game,” Hitchcock said. “Their best players were their
best players and scored when they needed to.”

Halak gave St. Louis a shot to stay in the game, denying Detroit on a 3-on-1
rush early in the third period, but Kronwall effectively ended the game with
3:03 left soon after Carlo Colaiacovo was called for roughing.

“I think they picked it up in the second period and we got discouraged when
they took the lead,” St. Louis forward Patrik Berglund said.

NOTES: Halak, who was 11-0-3 in his previous 14 starts, didn’t play in any
of the earlier matchups between the teams this season. Detroit and St. Louis
split their four games, winning two each at home. … The Red Wings’ seven-game
winning streak matches their longest of the season. They had won the previous
three in shootouts. … Nichol played in his 600th NHL game. … Kronwall
matched his career high with 11 goals.